Takeout beverages such as coffee and coffee drinks, tea and tea drinks, soft drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, other frozen beverages and other beverages are commonly sold in disposable containers (cups) with plastic lids. Frequently, the server, the customer of a self-service beverage, or other operator manually places the lid on the cup before or after the cup is filled with the beverage. The operator must press around the entire circumference of the lid to ensure that the lid is sealed to the cup to avoid spills. Accidental spills may result if the operator fails to seal around the entire lid. This manual handling can also be unhygienic, especially when the operator touches the inner surface of the lid, which contacts the beverage in the cup, or a drinking opening, which is a part of the lid that is intended to be drunk from without a straw. These beverages are often not consumed upon purchase, or may be consumed slowly and a warm beverage in the cup may decrease in temperature, and a cool beverage in the cup may increase in temperature.
Some establishments that serve beverages attempt to protect the outer surface of the lid from contamination by placing the stack of disposable lids so that the inner surface of the lid is facing up. However, this “upside down” technique allows the inner surface, which contacts the beverage in the cup, to be exposed to possible contamination. This technique also does not prevent. the operator from touching the drinking opening when sealing the lid to the cup.
Additionally, disposable cups are common in public and offer a visible medium for communication.